This invention relates to a vehicle seat connection assembly and also relates to a vehicle seat back including a pair of the connection assemblies for mounting a headrest support assembly on a seat back frame.
Vehicle seats include different types of structural members that are connected to each other by connection assemblies in order to permit movement between the structural members during vehicle seat use. For example, vehicle seat backs have previously included headrests that are mounted by associated support assemblies on the seat back frames for combined vertical and back-to-back front movement. Connection assemblies at opposite lateral sides of the seat assembly extend between the lateral sides of the seat back frame and the headrest support assembly to control the movement of the headrest on the frame such that rearward movement of the support assembly under the impetus of a vehicle occupant moving to the rear during an impact will cause the headrest to move upwardly and forwardly to engage the occupant""s head.
Vehicle headrest assemblies noted by an investigation conducted in connection with the present invention are disclosed by United States Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4 ,685,737 Deley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,233 Nagashima; U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,043 Viano et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,579 Albrecht; U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,009 De Filippo; U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,019 Wieclawski; U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,648 Karschin et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5 ,927,804 Cuevas; U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,424 Ruckert et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,406 Charras et al.
Also, toy animals, which are not related to the vehicle seat connection assembly of the present application, have previously included an animal arm that is molded in situ to the animal""s shoulder to provide a movable shoulder joint.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle seat connection assembly.
In carrying out the above object, the vehicle seat connection assembly of the invention includes a connector link having first and second portions and a connecting portion extending between its first and second portions. The first and second portions of the connector link each have an enlarged flange. A first plastic seat component of the connection assembly is injection molded in situ over the enlarged flange of the first portion of the connector link to provide a movable joint with the connector link. A second plastic seat component of the connection assembly is injection molded in situ over the enlarged flange of the second portion of the connector link to provide a movable joint with the connector link. The connector link is movable with respect to both the first and second plastic components and cooperates therewith to provide the connection assembly.
In one construction of the connection assembly, the first and second plastic seat components are connectors that connect to other associated seat components. These plastic seat connectors are disclosed as being lateral connectors and tube end connectors.
In another construction, the first and second plastic seat components of the connection assembly are structural seat components that are directly connected by the connector link.
In the preferred embodiments of the vehicle seat connection assembly, the first and second portions of the connector link are embodied by link ends which define the enlarged flanges over which the associated plastic seat components are injection molded in situ.
In one embodiment, the connector link of the vehicle seat connection assembly is made from a metallic rod having first and second ends that embody the first and second portions. The connector link has an intermediate portion that embodies its connecting portion and that extends between its first and second ends, and the first and second ends of the connector link have enlarged flanges over which the associated plastic seat components are molded in situ. The connector link of this embodiment also has its intermediate portion injection molded over the metallic rod and providing an attachment location that can be utilized for a resilient bias.
In another embodiment, the connector link of the vehicle seat connection seat assembly is injection molded entirely from plastic with its first and second portions each having an enlarged flange over which the associated plastic seat component is injection molded in situ. This embodiment also has the connecting portion of the connector link injection molded from plastic with an attachment location for an associated resilient bias.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle seat back.
In carrying out the immediately preceding object, a vehicle seat back constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a frame having a pair of spaced side portions and an upper portion extending between the side portions to define an inverted U shape. A headrest support assembly of the seat back has an upper portion for supporting a headrest and is mounted by the upper portion of the frame for combined vertical and back-to-back front movement with respect to the seat back. The headrest support assembly has a lower portion located below the upper portion of the frame between the pair of spaced side portions. A pair of connection assemblies of the seat back respectively mount the lower portion of the headrest support assembly on the pair of spaced side portions of the frame. Each connection assembly includes a connector link having first and second ends and an intermediate portion extending between the ends. A first plastic connector of each connection assembly is injection molded in situ over the first link end of the connector link to provide a movable joint therewith, and the first plastic connector is mounted on one of the spaced side portions of the frame. A second plastic connector of each connection assembly is injection molded in situ over the second link end to provide a movable joint therewith, and the second plastic connector is mounted on the lower portion of the headrest support assembly. The connector links of the pair of connection assemblies are movable with respect to their associated first and second plastic connectors and cooperate therewith to support the headrest assembly on the frame.
In the preferred construction of the vehicle seat back, the first plastic connectors of the pair of connection assemblies have vertically extending mounting surfaces for respectively mounting on the spaced side portions of the frame. Furthermore, the lower portion of the headrest support assembly includes a pair of tubes having downwardly opening ends, and the second plastic connectors of the pair of connection assemblies are respectively mounted within the downwardly openings ends of the pair of tubes of the lower portion of the headrest support assembly. In addition, the intermediate portion of each connector link has an injection molded attachment location, and a resilient bias extends between the attachment locations of the intermediate portions of the connector links and the frame to bias the headrest support assembly downwardly and rearwardly.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.